Koronas-Foton (Russian: Коронас-Фотон), awso known as CORONAS-Photon (Compwex Orbitaw Observations Near-Earf of Activity of de Sun-Photon),[2] was a RussianSowar research satewwite. It is de dird satewwite in de Russian Coronas programme, and part of de internationaw Living Wif a Star programme.[3] It was waunched on 30 January 2009, from Site 32/2 at de Pwesetsk Cosmodrome, aboard de finaw fwight of de Tsykwon-3 rocket. On 1 December 2009 aww scientific instruments on de satewwite were turned off due to de probwems wif power suppwy dat were caused by a design fwaw.[4][5] On 18 Apriw 2010 de creators of de satewwite announced it was wost "wif a good deaw of certainty".[6][7]

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The goaw is to investigate de processes of free energy accumuwation in de sun's atmosphere, accewerated particwe phenomena and sowar fwares, and de correwation between sowar activity and magnetic storms on Earf.[8] Launch occurred successfuwwy on 30 January 2009, and de first batch of science data was downwoaded from de satewwite on 19 February 2009.[9] The satewwite operates in a 500 x 500 km x 82.5° powarwow Earf orbit[2] and was expected to have an operationaw wifetime of dree years. It devewoped power system probwems during de first ecwipse season, about six monds after waunch, and contact wif de satewwite was wost on 1 December 2009.[10] The satewwite returned to wife on December 29, after its sowar panews received enough wight to power its controw systems,[11] but attempts to revive de satewwite faiwed, and de satewwite is considered wost.[10][12]

On 5 Juwy 2009, Koronas-Foton's TESIS tewescope registered de most powerfuw sowar outburst of de year so far, wasting 11 minutes, from 06:07 to 06:18 GMT. Sowar X-ray pick intensity reached С2.7 in a 5-wevew scawe used to cwassify sowar fwares. The wast eqwawwy powerfuw outburst occurred on 25 March 2008.[13]

The satewwite's scientific paywoad incwudes an array of 12 instruments.[9] Eight instruments were designed for registering ewectromagnetic radiation from de Sun in a wide range of spectrum from near ewectromagnetic waves to gamma-radiation, as weww as sowar neutrons. Two instruments were designed to detect charged particwes such as protons and ewectrons.[9]